Our position is 57:28.089N 16:43.341E

Distance covered 38.3 Nm

We had planned to leave Borgholm on Wednesday but after some boats who were up earlier in the morning than us went out and then came back saying it was too rough we stayed put and hoped for calmer weather the next day.

We arranged with the harbour master to refuel before leaving  early on Thursday and we were up at what felt like the crack of dawn. As we rounded the end of our pontoon, heading to the fuel berth, I could see a German boat at the end of the other pontoon getting ready to cast off. What ensued was a race accompanied by a lot of shouting (some from me to the skipper as I nervously wondered if I was going to be able to jump ashore once we arrived as the jetty looked quite high) and some dirty tricks (the German tried to go all the way backwards so as not to waste time turning round) but, needless to say, British determination won out, we arrived first and I just about managed to get ashore. The German boat, Pilgrim,  was left circling and muttering.

After fuelling we ventured outside the harbour. The wind was still blowing from the North, although North Easterlies to Easterlies had been forecast and our track took us due North into an uncomfortably choppy sea. The day dragged on unremarkably, although the sea state worsened as we cleared the top of Oland and the sea was more open and then improved again as we closed the coast and the entrance through the islands to our planned stop for the night in Skavarp, a natural harbour.

Following the channels through the rocks is always a bit unnerving but soon we were anchored in  splendid, sheltered isolation, enjoying a drink in the cockpit as the sun went down and listening to the birds

This is a luxury hotel built into the old Damman lighthouse. Last year it looked luxurious; this year it was surrounded by scaffolding

   This and its polluting smoke could be seen for miles. Not sure what its for but, ironically,  it was surrounded by wind turbines

This guy was very purposeful but I couldn’t really work out what his purpose was

This was where we left open waters and headed into the islands

  There were some aids to stop us running onto rocks

Splendid isolation in the anchorage